Lena Dunham Speaks Up About Speaking Out on Sexual Assault

Lena Dunham has opened up about why she wrote in her recent memoir about being sexually assaulted while in college.

In a lengthy statement published Tuesday by BuzzFeed, Dunham hits back at accusations that she described the man she claims assaulted her in a way that could be matched a male student who also attended Oberlin College. The student has denied he raped Dunham; her publisher plans to alter Not That Kind of Girl to specify that “Barry” is a pseudonym.

In her statement, the Girls writer and actress explains she was inspired by other sexual-assault survivors to share her story, while also addressing the recent accusations:

Speaking out was never about exposing the man who assaulted me. Rather, it was about exposing my shame, letting it dry out in the sun. I did not wish to be contacted by him or to open a criminal investigation. I am in…